Tonya Voyage Tips and guide

Tonya is a town in the mountains of Eastern Karadeniz, the Black Sea region of Turkey. In 2022 the population was 13,500.

The mountains draw rain and snow, so in summer the terrain is suitable for dairy farming. Tonya is too far from the coastal cities to supply them with fresh milk so most production is of butter and cheese. Reminders of this are all over town, for instance the glorified butter pat at the main roundabout, inducing a queasy spasm in anyone with a faltering gall bladder.

The mountain pastures or lalyas have summer homes and are a suitable base for hiking, though they're often fog-bound - autumn is better for sunshine. The mountains are too low for winter sports, so out of season the place is dismal and shuttered.

40°53′6″N 39°17′31″E

Map of Tonya

D010 / E70 runs almost the length of Turkey's Black Sea coast. Leave it at Vakfıkebir for the valley road up to Tonya, 20 km and 750 m altitude. This continues up to crest the mountains at Damlı (900 m) then descends to join D877 towards Gümüşhane. The road is good quality but may be blocked in winter by snow or flood damage, or be socked in by fog.

From Vakfıkebir dolmuşes run hourly to Tonya, with the last around 16:00.

40.886539.29091 Butter Roundabout isn't the official name, but it's the central plaza with a statue holding up a plate of butter, intersection of Büyük Liman Cd, Kızılçam Cd and Belediye Sk. A dolmuş will drop you here.

The town is small, but you need your own wheels to explore the hills above. The occasional dolmuş to outlying villages enables them to get into town for necessities then home by afternoon, and isn't timed for hikers.

• Town centre is bland and modern. Ali Bini Ömer Mosque by the roundabout is in retro-Ottoman style.
• 40.882439.29211 Canik Stream is a gentle boardwalk stroll south of town, with a waterfall and cafes.
• 40.88639.2972 Kadıralak is a village up the lane east of Tonya, with views over town. Kanada Hotel here has closed down.

The main reason to be here is to explore the yaylas, the summer high pastures, linked by hiking and stock-herding trails.

Lots of little stores cluster near the roundabout.

If you're from abroad, don't buy cheese or other dairy produce to take home unless you've checked your customs regulations. Most countries prohibit dairy imports.

• Haşlama is a broth with a large chunk of meat and a few potatoes and other vegetables. Each day's production is boiled to oblivion or until it runs out, so it's best eaten at lunch time once the meat has softened.
• Maranda Kafe by the roundabout is open M-Sa 08:00-21:00.
• Sezgin Lokantası is a chop house by the mosque, open daily 07:00-21:00.
• Git-Git serves chicken just south of the roundabout.
• Konak Pide Salonu 200 m south is open daily 09:00-20:00.

The water is good and safe to drink.

"Ayran" is a traditional yoghurt drink. This conservative rural region doesn't do cocktail bars.

• Ramada in Vakfıkebir is your fallback if you can't get up the valley road or find accommodation in Tonya. It's at Gülbahar Hatun Cd 77 near the turn-off from the coastal highway.
• Thoania is an apartment hotel 200 m south of the roundabout at Okul Sk 8 in Tonya.
• Foleya Mountain Resort is near the top of the pass in Damlı.

Tonya and its approach road from the coast have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of Sep 2025, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Beware traffic, safeguard valuables, and keep an eye on the mountain weather - thick fog may clamp down at any minute.

• Back on the coast, Akçaabat is the first large town going east, then you come into bustling cosmopolitan Trabzon.
• West on the coast, it's a 106 km drive to Giresun.
• Gümüşhane is an old silver-mining town. Check the status of the road over the mountain pass before setting out.